


A Little Help From A Friend

by Firefox



Category: Criminal Minds, Joan of Arcadia, Supernatural
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Episode: s02e21 Common Thread, Episode: s02e22 Something Wicked This Way Comes, Episode: s04e22 Lucifer Rising, Episode: s04e25 To Hell…, Episode: s05e16 Dark Side of the Moon, Gen, s02e23: s04e26 And Back
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-06
Updated: 2012-09-06
Packaged: 2017-11-13 16:22:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/505427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Firefox/pseuds/Firefox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone needs a little help from time to time. In this case the Winchester boys find help in their search for God the Winchesters find him in the most unusually normal place, Arcadia Maryland.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AU from Common Thread (2x21) with some information from Something Wicked This Way Comes (2x22) of Joan of Arcadia. Ryan Hunter still makes his appearance and still saves Adam but I’m regressing his age a bit so he’s closer in age everyone else making him 24 instead of however old he was in the show. AU from To Hell…And Back (4x25/26) for Criminal Minds, if you know what happens in the end of 26 basically for this story that never happen. AU from Lucifer Rising (4x22) for Supernatural but with Dark Side of the Moon (5x16) being thrown in because it works for this fic. These are in all honestly mostly arbitrary decisions on my part so don’t look to closely into them. A side note any facts Reid sprouts are probably horribly incorrect as I made them up for the point of this story so don’t take any of them as value. A special thanks to ficfinishing for prompting me through this because without them I totally would have dropped out. To Rebecca who doesn’t watch any of these shows but still beta’d for me anyway.

The day after Adam almost died on a mountain side Joan was late to school. She'd over slept and missed the bus and by the time she got to school and gone to get a late slip she'd missed the almost all of AP Physics and decided that it would be better to simply skip then to disrupt the class then have Ms. Lischak lecture her. Sitting outside waiting for the bell that signaled the end of class to ring. While glancing around to make sure that Mr. Price wasn't around she spotted a vaguely familiar man sitting on one of the benches. Walking over to him she tapped him on the shoulder.  
"Hey," she said giving him a confused look.  
"Hi," he said, holding out the box next to him he opened it, "Donut?"  
"Yeah thanks," Joan said taking a glazed donut, "You know my dad always told me not to take candy from strangers."  
He smiled, "Well then I guess we shouldn't be strangers any long, Ryan Hunter pleased to meet you," he stuck out his hand for her to shake.  
Juggling her bag and the sticky donut Joan took his hand, "Joan, Joan Girardi, thank you for rescuing Adam yesterday."  
Ryan smiled at her, "It was no big thing," he said shrugging, "Its what any good independently wealthy good Samaritan would have done  
"Independently wealthy?" Joan asked.  
"I made some good calls during the dot com era," he shrugged again, "I was just passing through and saw him and figured with the storm coming in he'd need some help."  
"Well thank you anyway," Joan said as she finished off her donut.  
Tossing the napkin in the trash Joan hopped up on the wall next to where Ryan was leaning.  
"So um," Joan said fidgeting nervously as they fell into a stilted silence.  
"You're probably wondering why after last night I came to find you and not Adam," Ryan said looking away from Joan out into the courtyard of Arcadia High.  
Joan shrugged, "I mean the thought had crossed my mind, yes."  
"We have mutual," he trailed off appearing to think, "Acquaintance I guess you'd say."  
"We do?" Joan asked looking confused.  
"Well maybe acquaintance is the wrong word to use for him," Ryan said straighten out his jacket and standing up straighter.  
Joan opened her mouth to ask who he was talking about but someone calling Joan's name stopped her.  
Hopping off the wall and turning around to see who called her Joan sighed when she saw who it was. Standing several feet away from them was Helen Girardi glaring at her daughter with her arms crossed. Biting her lip looking between her mother and Ryan she hitched her bag up higher. Waving towards her mothers direction she turned back to Ryan.  
"Who do we know?"  
"Maybe now isn't the best time to have this conversation," Ryan said  
"Wait no, who do we know," Joan called after  
"Maybe next time you see him he'll tell you," Ryan said over his shoulder as he walked away.  
"You think for someone who's so rich you'd be able to afford better donuts," she called after him in frustration.  
As he walked farther away she heard him laugh and wave back over his shoulder.

~*~*~*~

"You know if you keep up showing up like this someone could accuse you of being a stalker," where the first words Joan said to Ryan when she saw him standing at the base of the stairs of her house.  
He in turn smirked at her, "Its not stalking if you don't mind me being here."  
"And who says I don't mind?" Joan asked smiling slightly at Ryan.  
He didn't reply continuing to smirk at her.  
"So what exactly do you want?" Joan finally asked breaking the silence they'd fallen into.  
Ryan laughs and shrugs, "I figure we should talk."  
"About what? I thanked you for saving Adam already," Joan said confused.  
"I'm sure we have more things in common than Mr. Rove," Ryan said.  
"You mean like the mutual acquaintance you claim we have," Joan said looking at Ryan.  
He shrugged, "Yes"  
"And what mutual acquaintance would a 20something dot com millionaire have in common with a seventeen year old high schooler,"  
"Lets just skip that part but say that same mutual acquaintance is the one who asked me to visit you,"  
"Mutual acquaintance?" Joan asked confused walking down the stairs closer to him.  
Before Ryan could explain who he was talking about Luke walked out the house and both Joan and Ryan shifted to face him.  
"Yum, hi?" Luke said confused at the intense stares he was getting from the two of them.  
"Hi, you must be Luke Girardi," Ryan said with a smile stepping forward to shake his hand, "Ryan Hunter."  
"Oh hi, you're the guy who saves Adam yesterday right," Luke asking shaking Ryans hand.  
"That would be me," taking his hand back from Luke, Ryan kept the charming smile on his face, "You wouldn't mind if I borrowed your sister for a bit, promise to get her to school on time, in fact we'll be right behind you."  
Luke gave Ryan a strange look before looking to Joan but Joan only had eyes for Ryan.  
"Go ahead Luke, I'll meet you at school," Joan said to her brother who was loitering next to her looking back and forth between her and Ryan.  
"Okay?" he looked confused but shrugged jogging down the path and disappearing behind the hedge but not before giving them one last confused look.  
"Mutual acquaintance?" Joan repeated hands on him.  
"I don't think here would be the best place to talk about him," Ryan said walking down the path, "Come take a walk with me."  
Having no choice but to follow him to get her question answered Joan slung her bag up on her shoulder and trooped after him. For the first few blocks they walked in silence, the more blocks they covered the more frustrated Joan got at Ryan's silence.  
"So how do you like Arcadia?" Ryan asked breaking the silence.  
"What?"  
"I mean it must be different I mean being from the big city and coming to this small town," Ryan said looking at Joan out of the side of his eyes.  
Joan shrugged, "I’ve been here for four years almost I've gotten use to it I guess."  
"Do you ever wonder why someone comes to Arcadia?" Ryan asked.  
"No, I mean we came cause my dad got the job of Police Chief, you moved here on your own why'd you come?" Joan countered his question.  
"I was sent, asked," Ryan shrugged, "There’s nothing in Arcadia but you that I'm interested in."  
Ryan stopped abruptly then looking fully at Joan, "Our mutual acquaintance asked me to come to you actually."  
"What?" Joan asked stepping away from him. Though it wasn't quite the same feeling that she'd gotten that one time the man was following her the cold creeping up the back of her neck was familiar enough for her to know that something _wrong_ was happening.  
Seeing the look on her face Ryan inched back slightly, "I mean you no harm Joan."  
"Then what do you want from me?" she asked glaring at him.  
Sighing Ryan stuck his hand in his jacket pocket, "Simply put God sent me."  
Gasping at his words Joan grabbed his arm looking around then pulled him into an alley off the a side street. Glaring at him still Joan clutched her bag to her as if it could take the words he'd spoken back.  
"What do you mean God sent you?" Joan asked angrily.  
"Do you believe in angels Joan?" Ryan asked looking at her.  
"What?" Joan asked giving him a confused look.  
"You believe in God don't you Joan?"  
"I do," she replied.  
"Then do you believe in angels?" he repeated  
Joan simply looked at him not answering. Ryan in turn waited for her to respond just looking at her. Finally growing uncomfortable in the silence Joan responded.  
"I guess, I mean sure if Gods out there then I guess theirs angels, but what you're telling me you're an angel?" Joan said skeptically.  
"No, I'm not an angel, not any more at least, angels like everything else can be killed, me that was an angel was killed, God pulled some strings and here I am."  
"What?" Joan said confused.  
"Lets us say I said no to someone and they didn't appreciate it," Ryan said with a shrug.  
"Okay, what about God? You said he sent you here? To me?" Joan asked.  
"To pass along a notice," Ryan said.  
"Well? What is it?"Joan asked impatiently.  
"Do you know the story of Lucifer?" Ryan asked.  
"No?" Joan replied confused.  
"Lucifer use to be an angel, one of the first to be honest and lets just say if the angels where children Lucifer was a daddy's boy through and through," Ryan explained, "Now when God created The Earth and humanity lets just say poor little Lucifer wasn't too happy about it and it showed and he tried his very best to ruin it which needless to say God wasn't to pleased about."  
"Look as nice as this all is what does this have to do with me?" Joan asked cutting him off.  
"After God exiled Lucifer from Heaven Lucifer created his own children but they weren't what he wanted them to be and when God found this out – because there were, are rules against that – he decided like any parent that Lucifer wasn't," Ryan trailed off, "It was best if he was put somewhere where he couldn't do these kinds of things, so he sealed him in prison with a bunch of locks on it and simply put told him he was on indefinite time out."  
Joan watched Ryan confused as to how he knew all of this and why he was telling her this. So she talked to God from time to time did he want her to talk to him about Lucifer because that wasn't a conversation she wanted to have.  
"Recently some of Lucifer's children – demons – found a way to let him free," Ryan trailed off again.  
"What do you mean let him free?"  
"Exactly what I said Joan," Ryan said condescendingly.  
"But why are you telling me this?" Joan said annoyed.  
"Because every once in a while he ask and I listen," Ryan said with a shrug.  
"What are we going to do?" Joan asked reaching for Ryan's arm when he started to walk off.  
Ryan looking at the hand on his arm then at Joan before shrugging her grip off, "We're not going to do anything, all I came to do is deliver a message."  
"What?" Joan called after him. Seeing that he wasn't going to stop or wait for her Joan jogged to catch up with him.  
"Look Joan, I was as the deliver a message, I did, my end of this is done and over with," Ryan said looking at her, "Heck half the reason I agreed to do this was because I was curious about you, now I've seen you, wasn't to impressed but then I've never been to impressed with _his_ choices and now I'm ready to go, that's it Joan nothing more nothing less."  
"What?" Joan repeated.  
"Look, God gave us free will didn't he, well this is my exerting my free will and saying its not my problem," Ryan said as he walked off.  
Joan watched slack jawed as Ryan waved over his shoulder and walked away. Frustrated by what he'd told her it took more will power than she was willing to admit to not stomp her foot and yell in frustration. Glancing down at her watch however she did shout in frustration realizing that she was late for school. Gripping her bag to her side Joan took off running towards the bus stop mentally asking God to hold the bus for her.


	2. Chapter 2

Joan spent the next two days following her conversation with Ryan wondering why God told Ryan to tell her about Lucifer. Following their conversation Joan had looked around for God but was unable to find him no matter where she went. Finally she gave up figuring he'd make his appearance when he was ready, no matter how frustrated she was.  
As Joan was leaving for school two days later she was surprised to find Ryan leaning against the wall appearing to be waiting for her.  
"What do you want?" she asked scoffing at him stomping past him heading towards the bus stop for school.  
"Why Joan can't I just be visiting?" Ryan asked smiling at her matching her pace picking the briefcase that was by his feet.  
"No," Joan said hitching her bag up onto her shoulder.  
Ryan just continued to smirk at her which caused her to grow irritated.  
"I thought you'd done you're part and now you were done?" she asked glaring at him.  
"Joan, Joan," a voice called making her look up from her conversation with Ryan.  
Jogging towards Joan and Ryan was a middle aged women in sweats and a tee shirt pumping weights with each of her steps. When she came closer Joan realized she recognized the women as one of God previous incarnations. Groaning Joan shot a look at Ryan whose eyes were fixed on the women.  
"I've been looking for you all over," Joan hissed looking between God and Ryan annoyed.  
"I've been busy," God said with a slight shrug, "Hello Ryan."  
"Hello," Ryan sneered.  
Joan gave Ryan a strange look at his tone confused about his seemingly annoyed attitude with God. Joan even at her maddest at God never spoke to him that way.  
God laughed, "Don't worry Joan, Ryan here and I are old friends aren't we Ryan?"  
Ryan glared at God then looked down glaring at the ground then back up, "We're not friends."  
"Maybe not friends then," God said smiling, "Conversational buddies then."  
"I don't have time for this," Ryan said hefting the bag he was carrying, "I'll talk to you tomorrow when you get out of school," Ryan said as he began to walk away.  
"Wait what?" Joan called after him but he didn't look back continuing on his way.  
"What was that all about?" Joan asked watching after Ryan was gone.  
"Did you really think you were the only person I spoke to?" she asked smiling at her.  
She wanted to hit her in her smug face but knew that wouldn't do much so instead she turned away from her and stormed off. When she realized she wasn't following her she turned around and glared before stomping back over to him.  
"Who the hell is Ryan Hunter?" she asked hands on her hip.  
"Someone who called and I answered."  
"What did you do to him?" she asked  
"No more than I've done to you,"  
"He doesn't like you too much I take it,"  
"Because like you he asked for something and I said no," God said looking slightly sad.  
"But why is he so bitter," Joan asked confused.  
God shrugged, "That Joan is between him and I."  
Joan sighed shaking her head, "Look I'm running late so can we hop to the mystical part of our day where you tell me in some vague way what you need from me and I ask for my precise directions but you just walk off."  
"Nothing so vague today, you're just going to get some visitor soon I just need you to pass along a message for me."  
"What am I you're answering service now too?" Joan asked, "Why not just have Ryan deliver the message again?"  
God smiled, "Lets just say this message is best delivered from anyone but me, but more specifically you."  
"Why? Who's this message for anyway?" Joan asked.  
"Just like you see me as you need to see me, this message is best delivered by you Joan," God said.  
Joan huffs, "Fine what's the message?"  
"I've got it and I know," God then hefted the weights to her shoulder and began to power walk off.  
"You've got what, know what?" Joan called, scrambling to catch up with her.  
"They're explain it when they come and they will know you when they see you, now Joan you don't want to be late for your AP Chem class," God tisked as she prepared to walk off.  
Joan looked down at her watch, "Oh crap,"  
"When they come all you need to do is listen and believe," God called after her.  
Joan looked back at God, "Wait, when are they coming, who's coming? God, God!? Who's coming?"  
God simply waved and power walked away.

~*~*~*~

Late that same night in a one star hotel off a broken down highway Sam Winchester packed his and his brothers things as he explained to Castiel the conversation they'd had with Joshua in Heaven.   
"What exactly did Joshua tell you?" Castiel asked for what seemed the hundredth time that night.  
"That God's in Maryland," Sam said continuing to pack their stuff into a bag.  
"Maryland?" Castiel repeated looking between the two Winchester brothers.  
"Yeah, Joshua said there was something he had to take care of there but didn't tell us what it was," Sam said walking around the room gathering things up.  
"Yeah and it also said that God knew what was going on and didn't care, so what you think, you'll go bat your eyes at him Sammy it will change his mind," Dean said laying back on the cleaned bed not helping Sam pack.  
Pausing Sam looked at Dean, "Come on Dean you're just going to give up, Joshua said he was on our side that's why he told us were God was, he obviously thinks we should go see him, what's the worst he could do say no?"  
"How about smite us?" Dean said with a grin.   
Pursing his lips and giving Dean a look, "Somehow I don't think God is going to smite us for asking a few question,"  
"Yeah and I didn't think God would just sit back and let the apocalyptic come either but its seems to be happening,"  
"So what you think we should just give up now on this? Just let Lucifer win?" Sam snapped.  
"No, I think we should go back to what we were doing before," Dean snapped in reply.  
"What hiding from Lucifer and Michael? Losing this war? What Dean, go back to what?" Sam shouted.  
Dean looked at the beer in his hand unable to meet Sam's eye.  
"I don't know," he said softly.  
"Then don't knock my plan unless you have a better one," Sam snapped turning to go back to packing.  
"Do you even know where in Maryland God is?" Dean said finally sitting up and making eye contact with Sam's back.  
"Yeah I do actually," Sam replied turning around and crossing his arms in front of him, glaring at his brother.  
"Okay smart guy, wow me," Dean said.  
"While you were out there coaxing the maid into burning the sheets for us I did a little research," Sam said smugly.  
"Well where is he?" Dean asked impatiently.   
"I think he's in Arcadia, Maryland," Sam said.  
"Why?" Dean followed Sam with his eyes as Sam began to pace.  
"They've been having some sign, nothing major, just some freak storms," Sam explained.  
"Freak storms aren't enough to prove that God is there, maybe something fishy but I think there would be a few bigger signs than that."  
"Not if he's trying to hid."  
"You still haven't wowed me yet Sammy," Dean said exasperatedly.  
"Hold on and there's a girl named Joan that lives there," Sam said excitedly holding up a print out of a news article.  
"A girl? Is she cute?"  
"No you perv, I think she can help us find God though."  
"Why her?" Dean asked taking the proffered print out from Sam. It was a small metro section article about her helping find the mother of an abandoned baby dating back three years.  
"Well if you wait a sec, I was going through blogs and stuff from people who live in the town and a few of the high school kids were talking about this girl Joan whose parents sent her off to this camp, how she'd gone crazy and thought she could talk to God."  
"So what you think based off some teenaged gossip that this girl talks to God not that she's just some crazy kid?" Dean asked.  
"You got to see the coincidences, a girl named Joan who lives in Arcadia, Joan of Arc, come on Dean," Sam said equally exasperatedly as Dean.  
"There's got to be more than one Joan living in a town called Arcadia."   
"There are eighteen counting the one in Maryland and think about it Dean it has to be this one Joshua said God was in Maryland," Sam said throwing his hands up in frustration, "And its only a hop skip and a jump away from Ilchester too."  
"Where Saint Mary's Covenant is?"  
"Yup, you gotta admit it make sense," Sam said smug once again.  
"Okay you've wowed me, how far are we from Arcadia?" Dean asked standing up from the bed stretching.   
"Maybe a day away tops,"  
"Well what are we waiting for?" Dean turns around to look for Castiel but finds the angel gone.  
"You know I really hate when he does that," Dean said with a sigh.

~*~*~*~

_Joan floats above Saint Mary's Covenant. Blinking confused at her surroundings she begins to descend into the Covenant until she is floating in the chapel. Below her a priest is disemboweling a nun with several other nuns dead around him at his feet. Suddenly the priest looks up to where Joan is and his eyes flash yellow. He mouths words but Joan cannot hear them, the priest turns back to the nun that he has killed. The scene in front of Joan faded away into black then grey then white leaving Joan with nothing but a feeling of terror and horror._

"Joan, Joan, JOAN!" a voice called startling Joan from sleep.  
Joan screamed both from being startled and from the face hovering above her when she woke. Throwing off the cover and scrambling from bed she stared in shock at the young looking boy sitting on her bed.  
"Joan we need to talk," God said.  
In the hallway Joan's mother knocked then called into her room, "Joan honey, are you okay?"  
"Hide," Joan hissed at the little boy before moving to lie on her bed again.  
He nodded dropping off the bed and rolling under it out of sight from the door, just in time as her mother and father came in.  
"Are you okay, we heard you screaming all the way in our room," Joan's mom said sitting down on the edge of the bed reaching out to brush Joan's hair out of her face.  
"Yeah I'm fine, I'm fine."  
"You screamed," her dad said hovering behind her mother.   
"Its nothing, just a nightmare."  
"Do you want to talk about it?" Helen Giradia asked giving her daughter concerned looks.  
"Its nothing, I don't, I don't really remember it." Joan lied.  
"Okay honey, well try to get some sleep."  
"I will, night mom, night dad," Joan said plastering a fake smile on her face as she waved her parents out of her room.  
"Night," her parents said as the stepped out of the room closing the door behind them.  
"Night," Joan called after then, then waited and listened for their own bedroom door to close.  
"What the hell are you doing in my room?" Joan snapped looking under her bed at the boy curled under it.  
"I need to speak to you," God said from under her bed.  
"And you couldn't do it like we normally do it?" she snapped lifting the bed skirt so she could glare at the little boy under the bed.  
"Its important," he said climbing out from under her bed, brushing off the blue flannel pjs he was wearing.  
"Well what is it?" Joan said tapping her foot impatiently.  
"You need to remember no matter what's going to happens that I have a plan and all you need is to keep the faith," the boy said walking to her open window and beginning to climb out.  
"That's it? That's why you scared the bejeasus out of me?" Joan glowered at him, "For one cryptic messages that could have waited for a decent hour."  
"Good night Joan," he said dropping out the window.  
Joan ran to her to see if he was okay and found no one in her yard. With a sigh she laid back in her bed and tried to put both her nightmare and Gods cryptic message out of her mind.


	3. Chapter 3

"Bye Mom, Bye Kevin," Joan called as she left the house.  
She gave the street a quick once over to see if Ryan or God where waiting for her but found neither. Trudging down the drive she thought about her nightmare and Gods message wondering if they were connected and making a mental note to ask the next time she saw him.  
Three blocks into her walk to the bus stop the hairs on the back of Joan's neck froze causing her to pause in her walk and look around. Seeing nothing out of place she continued still looking around as the feeling hasn't gone away. Noting two guys having an argument a few feet in front of with a third more serious man in a trench coat simply watching them. As if he felt her watching them he turned to her eyeing her more critically than anyone had before. Raising an eyebrow at the serious look she hitched her bag up and moved to walk around them. They were all kind of cute but way too old for her she noted. She had never seen them around and while Arcadia was a big town it wasn't that big.   
As she walked by them she heard the one in the trench coat say, "I think she may be the one we are looking for."  
The two who were arguing looked up at him then over at her.  
"It can't be that easy," the shorter one said.   
"It could be if we had a little help," the taller one replied, Joan could see the air quotes around the last word.  
Joan blinked in confusion and gave them a dubious look before walking slightly fast away from them. Glancing back over her shoulder she saw that they'd stopped standing and began to follow her. Picking up the pace so she was in a slight jog Joan cursed herself for slacking off in gym class.  
"Look, Joan, Joan please wait up," the taller one called after her.  
"Look I don't know who the hell you are but my dad is the chief of police you better stop harassing me before I tell him," Joan yelled back not slowing down.  
"Look we don't want any trouble or anything, we just want to talk," said the shorter one catching up with her blocking her from going forward.  
Joan clutched her bag to her chest looking between the three of them.  
"Please," the taller one said.  
Up close he was even taller towering over Joan more than even her father or brothers did.   
"Fine what do you want?" Joan asked backing away slightly so she could see all three of them at the same time.  
"I'm Sam," the taller one said, "That's my brother Dean," motioning to the shorter, "And that's Cas."  
"Castiel," the one in the trench coat said glaring at the taller one Sam.  
"I'm Joan but ask you already called my name I take it you know that already," she said still eyeing them warily.  
"Yeah, kinda," Sam said looking abashed even under Joan's look.   
"Well what do you want?" Joan said, "I'm going to be late to school because of you."  
Joan's dad always said when being hassled by someone always let them think that there was someone waiting for you to show up soon.  
"We need your help finding someone," Sam explained, "Its really important that we find."  
"Who?" Joan said cutting him off.  
Sam makes a face sharing a look with Dean, "God."  
"God?" Joan repeated, "Like all powerful ruler of the universe, master of the universe, guy who created everything, that God?"  
"Yeah that God," Sam fidgeted and Dean shrugged when Joan looked at him.   
"I don't know who told you I could help you but you've got the wrong girl," Joan said shouldering her bag again and turned to walk away.  
"Look, we know you talk to God, his marks all clear on you, it is very obvious," Castiel said calling after her.  
"Cas," Sam hissed glaring at him.  
"Marks?" Joan stopped and turned around.  
"We do not have time for this, every second we waist is another second that we are closer to the Apocalypse," Castiel said glaring at both Sam and Dean.  
"Apocalypse," Joan repeated.  
"We need your assistance in finding God," Castiel said.  
"Look, follow me," Joan said briskly striding into an alley similar to the one she'd had to conversation with Ryan in.   
"Look is this about the whole Lucifer thing?" Joan asked once they were a ways down the alley.  
"How do you know about that," Sam asked stepping into Joan's personal space.  
"Whoa there buddy back up," Joan said placing her hands on his chest and pushing him away.  
"Well?" Dean said his hand inching towards the gun he had tucked in his waistband.  
"Someone just told me about the other day," Joan confessed.  
"Who?" Dean demanded.  
Joan glared at him, "Look he's not a demon, God sent him he told me himself, sorta."  
"So you do talk to God then," Sam said giving Dean a smug look that Joan didn't understand. It was similar to the look Luke would sometimes give Friedmen when he'd proven Friedmen wrong.  
"Yeah, look that's not something I advertise around," Joan said, "How did you find out?"  
"Let's just say it's something we do for a living," Sam replied cryptically.   
Joan gave them a skeptical look but mentally shrugged and sighed.  
"So what do you want?" Joan asked.  
"We need to get in contact with God," Castiel said.  
"Yeah, it doesn't really work like that," Joan said.  
"What do you mean?" Sam asked.  
"Its not like I go 'Hey God' and he shows up, he just kinda does," Joan explained.   
"Well what does he look like? We can find him ourselves," Dean said.  
Again Joan shook her head, "It depends, he shows up like you need him to appear, sometimes he's a he, sometimes he's a she, sometimes she a little girl, it depends."  
"Crap," Dean said.  
"Look, I'm sorry," Joan said.  
Sam shook his head pressing his palm to his head thinking.   
"Look," Joan said, "If you are who he said then I have a message from God to you."  
"Great, more messages," Dean mumbled.  
"What is it?" Castiel asked ignoring Dean.  
"He said to tell you he's got it and he knows," Joan said.  
"That's it?" Dean asked.  
Joan nodded, "That's it."  
Dean through his hands up in frustration then turned and kicked a garbage can. Flinching at the loud noise Joan jumped back.  
"I'm sorry," Sam apologized, "Its just there was a lot riding on this."  
Joan nodded understanding vaguely given her limited knowledge based on what Ryan had told her. In the distance Joan heard the bus that she needed to take coming closer. Looking between the three disheartened men and the alley entrance Joan hitched her bag up onto her shoulder.  
"Look, I mean I know you all need help and stuff," she said, "But I kinda have school."  
Dean looked up from the trash can he'd been kicking to Joan and made a vague jester that she took as a dismissal.  
"Sorry," she said as she scooted past Castiel and Sam and hurried out of the alley. Just as she left she gave them one last look before leaving.

~*~*~*~

"So Joan how was your day?" Helen asked her daughter noticing her daughters’ lack of interest in the meal before her.  
"It was fine," Joan mumbled shrugging, "Its high school I doesn't change day to day."  
"Well I noticed you weren't late today," her mother said.  
Joan shrugged, she'd managed to catch her bus on time and made it too school before even the first bell had rung something she rarely did.  
"Joan?" her mother repeated.  
Joan didn't reply simply returned to playing with her food too caught up in her thoughts to hold up a conversation.  
"Well since Joan seems to busy thinking to talk how was everyone else's day?" Helen asked look at her sons and her husband.  
Luke mumbled something that Helen didn't understand about the upcoming science fair and his project with Grace Polk. Kevin too mumbled something about it being a slow news day. Sighing in aggravation at her families inability to carry on a dinner conversation she gave her husband an expectant look.  
"I got called in on a pretty boring case today," Will said looking at his wife giving her a confused look when she looked pointly at their children.  
"A pretty standard identity fraud case," he continued.  
"So why'd you get called in?" Kevin asked.  
"Turns out, the guys used the cards are on the FBI's most wanted list for a laundry list of crimes," he explained.  
"Really? Are they dangerous?" Luke asked, "Why would they come to Arcadia?"  
"I don't know, but then no one really knows how Sam and Dean Winchester think," Will said.  
"Sam and Dean?" Joan asked looking up surprised.   
"Yes?" Will said confused at his daughters sudden interest.  
"Is one of them really tall? Messy hair? The other one short with a buzz cut?" Joan asked.  
"Yes? How do you know what they look like?" Will asked pushing his chair back from the table.  
Joan looked down unsure of what to say.  
"Joan?" Her mother asked.  
"I saw them, Sam and Dean Winchester, today," Joan said finally.  
"What?" Her dad yelled standing up, "And you didn't say anything?"  
"I didn't think it was a big deal," Joan said with a shrug.  
"They're on the FBI's most wanted list Joan, yes it's a big deal."  
Joan glared at the table for a moment before responding, "Its not like they told me that."  
"What did they want from you Joan?" Her mother asked moving around the table to place a calming hand on her husbands shoulder.  
Knowing that she couldn't tell her parents the truth Joan shrug trying to buy time to come up with a lie.  
"Joan?" Her mother repeated.  
"Nothing, I mean they just wanted directions to a place to eat," she lied.  
"That's it?" Her father asked.  
"They wanted to know if I knew someone, but they didn't tell me who and then the bus came and I left, that's it," Joan continued.   
"I need to call the station, before all we had was a vague memory from a tired desk clerk, but this," Will trailed off striding out of the room, "We'll talk about this later, Joan."  
In the living room Joan could hear her father calling in to the station talking to someone. Sighing in annoyance at her father Joan pushed her chair back and moved to go up to her room when her moms hand on her should stopped her.  
"He only yells because he's worried," Helen told her daughter.  
Joan shrugged not replying before going up to her room closing the door behind her.

~*~*~*~

"We have a new case," JJ said as she walked though the bull pen, "Gather the team in the conference room."  
Morgan nodded pushing back in his chair as he stood up.  
"What is it?" he asked following her.  
"Flagged for a cold case actually,” JJ said.  
"A cold case?"  
"Its complicated I'll explain it when we get everyone together," JJ said as she poked her head into Hotchner's office.  
After the whole team including Garcia had gathered in the conference room and had skimmed the file JJ had provided for them she spoke.  
"Earlier today I got a call from the Arcadia Maryland Police Lieutenant explaining to me that she thought that Sam and Dean Winchester were in Arcadia," she began, "Now at first she wasn't too sure as the only description of them originally came from a half sleep night manger of a hotel, however later in a conversation the Chief of Police found out his daughter apparently seen and spoke to the Winchester brother and was able to describe them in detail to a sketch artist."  
JJ click the pointer in her hand and two sketches popped up on the screen as well as mug shots of both Sam and Dean. The sketches were pretty well matched to the actual photos.  
"He apparently made some calls and figured that the Winchesters where out of his league and called us," JJ continued.  
"Now this isn't the first run in the Winchesters have had with local PD or with the FBI but this is the first one they've had in over a year, we need to figure out why they popped back up onto our radar and why they did it in Arcadia," Hotch said picking up from where JJ left off.  
"Who is exactly that called us in on this?" Rossi asked flipping through the file looking for a name.  
"The police chief, Will Girardi," JJ said holding up the request form.  
Rossi laughed suddenly shaking his head.  
"Rossi?"   
"Of course he wouldn't just call me like a normal person," Rossi muttered.  
The team looked at him in varying degrees of confusion.  
"Will Girardi is my brother," he explained.  
"Brother?" Hotch said, "I didn't know you had a brother."  
"Twin actually, we don't talk much so it never comes up," he explained.  
The team raised their collective eyebrows.  
"My parents got divorced when I was a kid, my mom took Will, my dad got me. Will changed his last name to our mother's maiden name so people would stop asking why they had different names," Rossi explained.  
"Why didn't you mention this before?" Hotch asked.  
Rossi shrugged, "Wasn't important, we don't speak much."  
The rest of the team gave him speculative looks waiting for him to say more.  
"Look can we focus on the actual case and not my brother," Rossi said looking down at the file in front of him.  
"You're the one who brought it up man," Morgan said looking at Rossi.  
"And now I'm dropping it," Rossi replied.  
Morgan shrugged and went back to looking at the file in front of him.  
"Well as far as we know the Winchesters showed up in Arcadia Maryland about three weeks ago. They rented a room paid with fake cards under the names Dean Valmont & Sam Merteuil," Hotch read from the file.  
Reid looked up suddenly, "Les Liaisons Dangereuses,"  
"What?" Hotch said looking at Reid.  
Reid opened his mouth to explain but Rossi cut him off.  
"Keep it in small words genius boy."  
"It was a book about two rivals who play these," Reid paused to think, "Games with one another using sex and trying to one up each the other, Valmont and Merteuil were the two main characters.   
"Not their usual style," Morgan said looking down at the list of pervious aliases the brothers had used.  
"Well they um, remade it into a movie in the 90's, Cruel Intentions," Reid said.  
"Oh the one with Ryan Philippe’s, um um" Garcia said licking her lips.  
"Getting back on track here," Hotch said cutting off the retort Morgan was about to make.  
"Wait a second didn't the Winchester brothers get killed a few years back in the same explosion that killed Hendrickson?" Rossi asked looking at a note in the file.  
"What was what was first believed but since then we occasionally get a call in about them, nothing that really pans out though," JJ said.  
"Why not?" Rossi asked.  
"Usually they've either unreliable or the witness changes their statement when someone comes to talk to them about it," JJ explained.  
"So why are we suddenly taken this serious?" Rossi asked looking around the room at the rest of the team.  
"Because we have a reliable witness," JJ replied confused at Rossi's line of questioning.  
"A teenage girl?" Rossi said sounding skeptical.  
"Who's the daughter of the chief of police," JJ said getting slightly frustrated.  
"Who also happens to be my brother though."  
"Well I didn't know that when I took this case," JJ said.  
"What the heck Rossi, you act like you don't want to look into this," Morgan snapped glaring faintly at Rossi.  
"Its not that I don't think we should take this case, but don't you think this is a little odd?" Rossi asked looking around the room at the rest of the team.  
Hotch looked back at Rossi, "Everything involving the Winchester brothers is strange, that's why we were called in."  
Rossi nodded, "I have a bad feeling about this."  
"It doesn't matter," Hotchner said, "Wheels up in 20 guys, we'll finish the rest of this on the plane. The Winchesters have a talent at vanishing and I don't want to lose them by sitting around here."  
The team all nodded pushing their chairs back and grabbing their folders off the table. They filed out of the room talking softly to one another.   
As Rossi left Hotchner put his hand on the man’s shoulder, "Are you going to be able to do this?" he asked.  
"Yeah, I'm fine, I just," he trailed off, "I've got a bad feeling about this Aaron."  
Hotchner nodded, "We won’t know what caused it if we don't got look."  
Rossi just shook his head and left the conference room with Hotch looking after him.


	4. Chapter 4

When Joan saw God next he was waiting for her at the bus stop. He was in his old lady form smiling at her when she sat down next to her.  
"Is what they told me true? Are you hiding from them, here ignoring them letting the apocalypse come, happen," she asked turning on the bench too look at her.  
She smiled at Joan kindly, "Joan, I've told you before everything I do I do for a reason, even if you can't see it now."  
"Oh really, there's a reason for the apocalypse?" Joan asked frustrated, know that no matter what she asked she would get some vague non answer answer.  
"Yes," God replied shortly.  
"What what could possibly justify destroying the world!" Joan hissed leaning in closer to God so not to be over heard.  
God tisked at Joan, "Action have consequences Joan, you know that."  
"So what this is punishment, what about all the good people in the world, the people who didn't do anything wrong," Joan asked.  
"I don't play favorites Joan," was God's reply.  
Joan stared at God in shock shaking her head tears falling down her face.  
"This isn't fair," she mumbled wiping her face embarrassed that she'd started to cry.  
"I know," God replied kindly.  
"Why won't you do anything," Joan asked.  
"Joan, I am doing something, I've shown you the way now you just have to see it for yourself," she said taking her hand.  
Joan looked down at their clasped hands, "I don't understand."  
"Think of me as a parent whose time after time bailed out their child from bad situations and every time interfere I'm just justify/reconfirm to them that they're bad behave is okay, well this time I'm not this time I'm sitting it out, this time you all have to learn how to save yourself,"  
"That's not fair," Joan repeated.  
"Who said anything about fair? That's just another one of your silly human notions," God said with a shake of her head.  
"So what do you want me to do, us to do," Joan asked  
"I don't want you to do anything different from what I wanted you to do before," God said as she stood up.  
"Hey wait, where are you going?" Joan called after God moving to chase after her but the bus pulled up to the light before the stop.  
"To see a man about a garden," God said waving as he walked away.

~*~*~*~

_This time Joan knows she's dreaming though it doesn't stop her panic from hitting. She's floating in the same place she was before looking down at the same Chapel she'd been in before. Below her is Sam Winchester his hand outstretched towards a blonde woman who lays on the ground in from of a stone Sarcophagus with a dark haired women behind him smiling. Though Joan doesn't understand she's knows there is something bad is happening. The blonde woman seems to be glowing from the inside out and though there is no sound Joan knows she's screaming. Joan in turn screams in fear, confused and frightened about what she's witnessing. Suddenly the glowing reaches a crest and Joan is blinded by the light. When Joan's vision comes back the scene below her has changed and Sam is standing behind the dark haired women as Dean strides towards her knife in hand. She chokes on a scream as Dean slams the knife into the women's gut causing her to glow similarly to the blond women. As they drop the body to the ground the pools of blood around them start to glow brightly. She watches as Dean grabs Sam trying to pull him out but Sam stares, eyes transfixed on the floor as he mouths the words “He's coming.“_

Joan sits up straight in her bed stuffing her hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming and having her parents come running again. Once she has her breathing under control she brings her knees up to her chest and rest her head on them.  
"Who's coming, who's coming?" Joan whispers to herself as tries not to think about what she just saw.

~*~*~*~

"Chief the FBI team is here," Lieutenant Preston said sticking her head into his office.  
"Thanks, Lucy show them to the conference room," Will said looking up from the paper work he'd been going over.  
"Yes sir," she said pulled the door closed behind her.  
Will went back to looking at the paper work  
"Yes?" he asked looking back up at Lucy wondering why she was still standing there.  
"Its just sir," she said looking slightly nervous.  
"Yes?" Will asked impatient.  
"You wouldn't happen to have a twin would you?" Lieutenant Preston asked looking uncomfortable.  
Will blinked at her confused, "I do," he replied trailing off.  
"Oh, okay then," she said shifting her weight from foot to foot, "I'll go see to the FBI team now."  
Will watched, still confused by her questioning as she left closing the door behind her. Looking at the paper work on his desk he sighed before shuffling it into piles to be looked at later, whatever was going on with the FBI team he figured he'd better deal with it now. Pushing back in his chair he straighten his tie before giving himself a once over in the mirror in his office before walking out into the bullpen.  
There was a silence as he walked by that broke into whispered which confirmed that something was going on. He weaved his way through the bullpen until he made his way to the back conference room. The door had been closed but he could still hear the murmur of voices inside one of which he recognized as Lieutenant Preston. Pushing open the door Will walked into the room looking around. Lieutenant Preston was standing next to a dour looking man in a suit who stopped speaking to Lieutenant Preston when Will came in. There were four other people in the room beside Lieutenant Preston and the man in the suit one of which Will was shocked to see. The man in the suit opened his mouth to speak but paused a look of confusing flashing over his face before vanishing.  
"Chief Girardi," Hotchner said holding his hand for a hand shake, "Supervising Special Agent Aaron Hotchner."  
Will however did not take his hand, his eyes firmly on a spot behind Hotchner. The room fell into a stilted silence as the two brothers looked at one another.  
"Will," Rossi said looking at his brother.  
"David," Will replied in turn.  
"It's been a while," David said.  
Will scowled at his brother before turning to Hotchner taking the still offered hand.  
"Will Girardi," he said, "Wish I could say nice to meet you but its never a good thing when the FBI sends in the BAU."  
Hotchner nodded about to reply when Rossi cut him off.  
"You know normal families just pick up the phone and call when they want to talk," David said ignoring the fact that Will was ignoring him.  
"I didn't call you, my lieutenant is in charge of this, it was her call," Will said.  
"You didn't think that with a case like this that you should have a say in it?" David said.  
"I'm personally involved in all the cases that come through my precinct," Will snapped glaring at David.  
Hotchner seeing the fight brewing between the two brothers stepped in between the two of them hand gently on Rossi's chest pushing him away.   
"What do you know about the Winchester brothers?" Hotchner asked.  
"Not much, just that they rolled into town a few days ago," Will said, "No one's seen them except my daughter and a night clerk we haven't been able to track down."  
"We'll need to talk to your daughter," Hotchner said looking over the board.  
"I can do it," Morgan volunteered.  
"No, JJ and I will do it, Morgan I want you and Prentiss to talk to local hotels the Winchesters are known for staying in out of the way places, Arcadia can't have too many hotels, get Garcia to get a list for you and talk to the desk people, Reid, Rossi, I want you to read through all the most recent police reports and newspaper, find out what the brothers are doing in Arcadia,"  
"What do you think brought them to Arcadia, Agent Hotchner?" Lieutenant Preston asked looking between him and his team as they all started working on their assignments.  
"I don't know Lieutenant Preston but that's why we're here," Hotchner replied.

~*~*~*~

"Joan," a voice called after her as she walked to work followed by a series of honks. Jumping startled Joan turn towards the noise pulling her headphones off so she could hear.  
Lagging behind her were Sam and Dean Winchester, Sam's head out of the passenger side of their car as he called for her.  
"Can we talk?" Sam asked as Dean pulled up closer to where she was standing.  
Joan looked up and down the bloc very aware of all of the eyes on her knowing that this was probably going to get back to one of her parents before she got home. Sighing knowing the damage was done she nodded.  
"I know a diner around here were we can talk," she said.  
"Oh do they have pie?" she heard Dean ask.  
Again she nodded, "Yeah, they have pie."  
"Cool," Dean said.  
"Parking spot," Sam said pointing a little ways forward.  
Cutting off some poor man Dean swung the car into an empty spot giving the man the finger when he cursed at Dean. Joan watched the two of them as they got out of the car waiting until Dean had locked the car before turning and walking towards a diner near her job. The two boys followed behind her at a decent distance having a whispered conversation that involved looking at her then at each other several times before they reached the diner.  
Opening the door to the diner Joan motioned them in with a wave of her hand. Walking into the diner they boys looked around and were motioned to a booth by one of the waitresses who waved to Joan and gave her a slight thumbs and raised eyebrows in the bothers direction. Blushing knowing what Hilde was thinking Joan shook her head and followed the boys to the booth.  
Sliding in on the other side of them she fiddled with her menu not making eye contact. Joan only looked up when Hilde sauntered over to take their order.  
"What can I get you guys?" Hilde asked looking down at the boys.  
"Coffee, black," Sam said as he put the menu down.  
"Nothing for me Hilde," Joan said putting the menu back.  
"What kind of pie do you guys have?" Dean asked looking up at Hilde smiling charmingly at her.  
"We have Rhubarb, Blackberry, Key Lime, Pecan and Apple," Hilde listed.  
"Can I get one of each, except for Key Lime?" Dean asked still smiling at her.  
"Sure can sweetie," Hilde replied blushing slightly under Dean's gaze.  
"Thanks a lot darling," Dean smiled and waves a bit as Hilde walked off.  
"So you really talk to God?" Sam asked looking up at Joan from beneath his fringes after he was sure their waitress was out of ear shot.  
"Yeah, I do," Joan replied looking past Sam towards Hilde who was fanning herself our at the counter.  
"Wow how'd that happen," Sam asked.  
"I asked for something and he gave it," Joan said with a shrug.  
"And just like that God started talk to you?"  
"No, I mean not right away, my brother was in an accident and I asked God to save him I promised if he saves my brother I would do anything he wanted no matter what, a few months after we moved to Arcadia he came to collect," Joan explained.  
"That must have been weird," Sam said.  
"Look do we have to talk about this?" Joan asked shifting uncomfortably.  
"No, I mean, it's just me and my brother have spent so long trying to find God and now we know he's here and," Sam trailed off unsure of how to finish the sentence.  
"You know I'm not the only person God talks to?" Joan said.  
"What? God talks to someone else?" Sam asked looking surprised.  
"Gees, does he talk to everyone but us," Dean said glaring at nothing.  
"I mean I don't know if they still talk but they did, he's, he's kinda mad at God right now though," Joan said stumbling over her words unsure of how to explain what she'd seen between God and Ryan.  
"Did he tell you how God started talking to him?" Sam asked.  
Joan shook her head, "All I know is when he was a teenager God started talking to him," Joan said, "Its was different for us, I mean I asked my brother and he said when I was a kid I had this imaginary friend that I'm pretty sure was God but I don't remember," Joan said becoming quite when Hilde came over with Sam's coffee and Dean's pies.  
"Here you go boys," she said as she placed them on the table, "Do you need anything else?"  
"No, thank you though," Sam said giving her a small smile.  
"Call me if you guys need anything," Hilde said as she walked away, giving them a look over her shoulder to which Joan made a shooing motion to her.  
"The thing is with Ryan," Joan continued when she was sure Hilde was once again out of hearing distance, "He claims that he's the reincarnation of an angel."  
"What," Sam and Dean both hissed leaning forward.  
"What do you mean that he's the reincarnation of an angel?" Dean asked mouth full of pie.  
"That's what he told me, that he was an angel, that something happened and someone else killed him because he didn't agree with them, then God 'pulled some strings' and he got born," Joan explained.  
"Damnit, damnit, damnit," Dean cursed wiping his mouth and throwing the napkin down into his empty plate, "Just what we need _angels_."  
"I though that'd be a good thing?" Joan asked confused.  
"No, angel's just make things more complicated," Sam said with a sigh pulling the plate of Pecan pie over to him. Poking at it with his fork before eating piece of it.  
"Hey," Dean whined pulling the plate back over to him.  
"I don't think Ryan is going to make anything complicated," Joan said looking between them.  
Dean opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a low toned jiggle. Fumbling around in her bag Joan pulls out her cell phone.  
"Crap," Joan cursed when she sees the name displayed on the screen.  
"Who is it?" Sam asked leaning forward across the table.  
"My boss," Joan mumbled pressing the call accept button, "Hi, Sam?" Joan said tentatively.  
"Where the heck are you?" her boss yelled at her.  
Flinching Joan pulled the phone away from her ear.  
"Sorry, I'm coming, something came up," Joan said apologizing.  
Turning to the brothers she mouthed 'I have to go' before quickly gathering her things.  
"I'm on my way sorry," she apologized to her boss.  
"Don't be sorry be here ten minutes ago," her boss yelled.  
Giving the brothers a half wave she hurried out of the diner.


	5. Chapter 5

"Mom, Dad I'm home," Joan called as she slammed the door behind her.  
"In here," her dad called back.  
"Why did I get a job again?" Joan asked as she walked into the kitchen, "People don't ever read the signs when they," Joan trailed off when she saw the assembled guest in the kitchen was more than just her parents.  
"Um, Hi," Joan said waving slowly to the people sitting around the dining room table.  
"Joan would you please sit down?" her mom asked from where she stood leaning against the counter.  
"What's going on?" Joan asked looking between her parents and the two people sitting at the table.  
"Joan this is Special Agents Hotchner and Jareau," her dad motioned to the sour looking man and blond women sitting in the kitchen.  
"Um, hi?" Joan said confused dropping her bag by the stairs.  
"Joan, we'd like to ask you some questions about the Winchester brothers," JJ said smiling at Joan.  
"The three guys I told my dad about?" Joan asked thinking fast because there was no way she was going to be able to lie to her dad let alone the FBI.  
Mentally Joan cursed God for putting her in this position before plastering a smile on her face and taking the empty seat across from the two agents.  
"Three?" Hotchner asked.  
"Yeah?" Joan said.  
"Can you describe them for me?" JJ asked, her pen posed to take down notes.  
"Um, yeah," Joan replied looking down at the table, "One of them was really tall, like taller than my dad tall, there was a shorter one but the way they acted it was sort of like how Kevin treats Luke you know what I mean?" Joan asked looking up at her father.  
"Like he was an older brother?" Will supplied.  
"Yeah, I mean when I saw them they were arguing about something, trying to find someone and the shorter one was mad because he thought the taller one knew where whoever they were looking for was but apparently he didn't."  
"You heard all of this? They didn't notice you?" Hotchner asked.  
Joan blushed, "I kinda just stood there, Arcadia's pretty small, its not every day two really hot guys are literally standing in your way."  
"You said there was a third man with them?" JJ prompted.  
"He was sort of standing off to the side of them, the way people do when they're embarrassed sort of, when he saw me standing there he told the other two to just ask me," Joan explained.  
"And what exactly did they say to you?" JJ asked.  
"They were looking for someone," Joan said, "They weren't too sure what he looked like though, old, conspicuous, loiters or shows up at odd places and times but not scary," Joan described.  
"And you told them?" Hotchner prompted.  
"I had no idea who they were talking about," Joan lied, "It was really vague and I asked them if they had a picture maybe of what the person looked like or a name and they looked at the guy in the trench coat and he said he hadn't ever seen him."  
"What happened next?" JJ asked jotting down notes then passing the pad to Hotchner who read what she wrote and nodded.  
Joan unsure of what had just passed between the two agents looked from them to her father who nodded at her to continue.  
"Nothing really, they apologized for bothering me and left," Joan shrugged.  
"Did you notice anything about them? Anything strange?" Hotchner asked.  
Joan shook her head, "No I mean I wasn't really looking," she blushed again and looked down, "My best friend almost got lost in the woods the other day, I was late for school and to random hot guys where talking to me, I was sort of distracted, I'm sorry."  
"No, you did good Joan," JJ said reaching across the table to take Joan's hand, "Had you not told your dad you'd seen them we wouldn't have been called out here."  
"Have you seen them since that first meeting?" Hotchner asked Joan.  
"No," Joan lied.  
Hotchner gave her a hard look which caused her to want to squirm but she didn't knowing that would give away her lie.  
"Are they really that dangerous? I mean that the FBI are involved?" Joan asked looking up from behind her hair.  
"The Winchester brothers are wanted to questioning for various reasons connecting to a series of cases everything from identity thief, to grave desecration to murder and breaking and entering," Hotchner replied, "We don't know if they're dangerous or not because we don't know what they've done or what's rumors, that's why we're here."  
Joan nodded her head. JJ looked between Joan and Hotchner for a moment before letting go of Joan's hand.  
"Joan, we need to talk to your parents for minute," JJ said.  
Joan nodded again, "I'll just go up to my room I guess, I have tons of homework to do anyway," she said as she got up and grabbed her bag.  
The four adult sat in silence while they waited to hear Joan's door close before speaking.  
"She's lying," JJ said the second they heard Joan's door slam.  
"Wait what how do you know?" Helen asked moving forward.  
"Gut feeling," Hotchner replied.  
"About what? That's the same thing she told me when she first mentioned it."  
"About not knowing who they were looking for and about seeing them again," Hotchner responded.  
"Why would she lie?"  
"The Winchesters are known to have regular people protect them," JJ said gathering up her notes.  
"And you think my daughters protecting them?" Will asked.  
"I know all parents what to think the best of their children but its not always the case," Hotchner said.  
"But why? Joan knows they're dangerous, Will told her, you told her that, why would she protect them?" Helen asked wringing her hands in frustration.  
"We don't know," JJ replied honestly, "As we said  
"We need to go back to the station and talk to the rest of the team, find out what they learned today," Hotchner said as he gathers up the last of his things.  
“I'll go back with you," Will said grabbing his own things following the two FBI agents.  
Turning to Helen he said, "Don't hold dinner for me."  
Helen nodded as she watched the three of them make their way to the SUV parked in front. Closing the door Helen leaned against it for a moment to compose herself. As she stood there she heard quite footsteps sneaking down the hall followed by a door closing. Helen frowned knowing that the only person upstairs was Joan. As she walked back into the kitchen she thought about what the two agents had said as well as the fact Joan had been eavesdropping on the conversation.

~*~*~*~

The BAU team sat around the conference room table sipping coffee reading over each others reports not speaking. They sat in silence reading until Reid made a small humming noise in the back of his throat causing them all to look up at him.  
"You think she was lying?" he asked looking between JJ and her notes.  
"I think she was withholding information," JJ corrected.  
"So she lied?" Morgna asked looking down at JJ's notes.  
"Yeah," JJ conceded deciding not to fight it.  
"Why? Doesn't she understand how dangerous they are?" Morgan asked.  
"She's a teenaged girl, they're attractive, who knows" JJ put out.  
"No, that's not it, it was something else, I can't put my finger on it, but whatever she lied about she only lied because her parents were in the room," Hotchner said.  
"How could you tell?" JJ asked.  
"Because she looked at both of them when we asked what they spoke to her about," Hotchner said.  
"So she acknowledged seeing them but lied about what they talked about?" Reid asked wanting clarification.  
"Yeah and Chief Girardi told us after she'd left that she told us the same thing she'd told them," JJ told him.  
"So she's consistent with the lie, do you think she'd say something different if her parents weren't around?" Morgan asked.  
"Maybe," Hotchner said though he didn't sound convinced.  
"What did you guys find out?" Rossi asked speaking up for the first time.  
"Get this," Morgan said putting down the notes in his hand, "When Prentiss and I were talking to one of the hotel clerks he said, though he wasn't sure, that he'd seen two guys matching Dean and Sam's directions that morning, that they'd asked for directions to this book store.  
"A book store?" JJ repeated.  
"Yeah and guess who works there?" Morgan said smugly.  
"Joan," JJ hazarded a guess.  
"That's right,” Prentiss said smugly.  
"We aren't suppose to be investigating the girl Derek," Dave said looking at Morgan over the top of the papers.  
"We were just following up on a lead and it panned out,"  
"To what?" Hotchner asked cutting off the argument that was brewing between Morgan and Rossi.  
"We went by the bookstore asking if the owner had seen the Winchester which he hadn't but he mentioned he was suppose to be working, that he'd hired some high schooler to handle the customers but she came in late then had the nerve to skip out early on him too," Morgan said smugly.  
"He just told you that?" JJ said raising her eyebrows.  
"He was pissed, about having to handle annoying customers," Prentiss explain.  
"Did he have anything else to say?" Hotchner asked.  
"Yeah, we asked him if he knew why she was late and he didn't know but that she had been in the diner a few blocks down so we went to talk to someone at the diner," Morgan explained.  
"And one of the waitresses remembered seeing Joan come in with quote two extremely hot pieces of man meat unquote," Prentiss said using air quotes, "We showed her pictures of Dean and Sam and she recognized them, said they came in with Joan, stayed long enough for them to have a conversation then according to Hilde, Joan got a call and bolted, the brother stayed finished off five slices of pie and left."  
"So she lied about what they talked about too," Hotchner said putting down standing up to pace and think.  
Hotchner turned to Rossi and Reid, "Did you find any reason that the brothers could be in town?"  
"No, I read through the old file we had on the Winchester and read through Hendrickson's notes on how he tracked them down," Reid said, "There haven't been any strange murders, kidnappings, injuries or storms that would have caught the brothers attention."  
"What if they were looking for Joan?" Prentiss asked.  
"What do you mean?" Rossi asked.  
"I mean they've been in town what a week?" Prentiss asked, "And every time they show up Joan is involved, what if whatever they're doing it involves her?"  
"Even if it is true that still doesn't tell us why they're here," JJ pointed out.  
"We need to talk to Ms. Girardi again, without her parents," Hotchner said.  
"How are we going to explain that to her dad?" Rossi asked nodding his head slightly towards the frosted glass window where  
"Let me handle that," JJ said standing up making her way towards the door.  
"JJ," Hotchner called after her.  
"Yes sir?" JJ responded turning around.  
"Find out if there's anything about Joan that we need to know," was all Hotchner said.  
JJ nodded before leaving. The team watched as her shadowed form stopped in front of the assumed shadow of Chief Girardi. Through the glass the team watched as JJ lead the man away hands making small gestured as they went.  
"What do you think he's going to do?" Morgan mused to no one in particular.  
"If he's anything like our mom he's going to go home and lecture her on the errors of her way, then demand as her parent that she tell him the truth," Rossi replied.  
"Do you think its going to work?" Morgan said.  
"You know usually when older children are confronted by parents after a lie they are more than likely to compound the original lie with a newer more thought out lie and this second lie is  
"So you think she's going to lie again?" Morgan said.  
"I think that whatever she's lying about she going to continue to lie about to her parents no matter what her dad says," Reid said with a shrug, "But then I haven't talk to her so I don't know."  
"You and Morgan go talk to her in the morning, somewhere where her parents won't be around," Hotchner said.  
Reid and Morgan both nodded their agreement.  
"And what should I do?" Rossi asked looking at Hotchner.  
"Find out whatever JJ doesn't find out," Hotchner replied.  
"You don't think he's going to tell her everything," Rossi said skeptically, "JJ's pretty convincing."  
"There are things that people only tell family, you're family use it," Hotchner said simply.

~*~*~*~

"The FBI agents you spoke to you think you're lying Joan," her father said to her walking into her bedroom without even knocking first.  
Looking up confused at her father Joan muted her music.  
"What?" she asked.  
"The two FBI agents, Hotchner and Jareau think you're lying about knowing who they Winchesters where looking for," her father says glaring down at her.  
"I'm not," Joan responded.  
"Joan they're professional profilers and they think you're lying," Will said, "I think you're lying."  
"Dad," Joan said unsure of what to say.  
"I thought we were past this Joan" he said, "I thought when you came home from Gentle Acres we were past that."  
Joan sat up fully now pushing herself up against her head board so she could look at her dad.  
"Gentle Acres has nothing to do with this," Joan said trying not to glare at her dad for bring it up.  
"Then talk to me, please Joan," Will asked.  
"I told you everything that I know," she said looking down CD player clenched in her hand. With a concentrated effort she unclenched her fingers from it before looking back up at her dad. She hated lying to him but she knew if she told him she'd end up back at Gentle Acres or some place worst.  
"Joan," her dad said sternly.  
Joan stayed silent looking at a spot above his head.  
"Fine," he said huffing, "You're grounded then."  
"What?" Joan cried, "That's totally unfair."  
"Until the Winchester brothers are in custody or known to be out of Arcadia you can go from here to school to work and back here," Will said, "Got it?"  
Joan glared, "Yeah I got it."  
"I don't want to do this but if you refuse to talk to me this is what I'm force to do."  
Joan didn't say anything simply glared at her dad. Finally he sighed and turned to leave giving her a pleading look. He paused at the door before he left.  
"Have you seen them since the time you told us about?" Will asked.  
Joan set her face stubbornly, "No."  
Will shook his head disappointed, "Hilde told the FBI agents that she saw you with them earlier."  
Joan flinched but pressed his lips together and didn't say anything. Will sighed and left unsure of what to do. He'd heard the BAU team, he knew that Joan was the biggest chance of finding the Winchester and she was refusing to tell them anything. He knew there was nothing he could do to make her talk and it frustrated him. Sighing again he headed towards his bedroom where Helen was waiting, all he wanted now was to lay in his wife's arms and not think about any of this.


	6. Chapter 6

"Hey Joan," Ryan called jogging to catch up with Joan who'd been power walking her way home trying to get there as fast as possible.  
Stopping at someone calling her name Joan turned to greet Ryan, "Hi."  
"You're in a hurry today," he commented as he kept pace with her.  
"I'm grounded, not allowed anywhere but work, school and home," she explained, "I'm pretty sure my dad is timing how long I take to get home."  
"Sounds serious," Ryan remarked.  
Joan paused and turned to look at him, You know things right?"  
Ryan raised an eyebrow, "I know things, most of it is self taught but yes I know things."  
Joan shook her head "No, I mean about the Winchester and God and everything."  
"Oh that," Ryan said rolling his eyes, "I know about that."  
"Well I accidently told my dad and he called the FBI and they wanted me to tell them what the Winchers where doing here," Joan explained, "And I can't I mean how do I explain they asked me where God is, when the last time I mentioned God I ended up in a summer camp for crazies and now if someone so much as mentions it my dad freaks."  
"So you lied?" Ryan said chuckling slightly.  
"Yes, what’s so funny," Joan asked confused.  
"Nothing, I'm sorry its nothing," he said placing his hand over his mouth until he stopped.  
"What should I do," Joan asked, "I have no idea what to do and I haven't seen him since this all started."  
"You're asking me?" Ryan said eyes brows raised, "I don't play his game Joan."  
"This isn't a game though," Joan hissed at him looking around to see if anyone noticed, "This is the freaking apocalypse, world ending, everyone dying, poofing out of existence apocalypse.  
"And?" Ryan said nonchalantly.  
"Don't you care?" she hissed at him.  
"I'm sure he has a plan," he said with a shrug, "Its not my problem."  
"How can you be so callous?" Joan asked shaking her head at him.  
"Easy, God gave us free will, this is me using it," Ryan said with another shrug.  
Joan opened her mouth to tell him off for his lack of empathy for the rest of the world when she saw Sam, Dean and Castiel heading towards them. Cursing under her breath she looked around to see if she saw anyone who knew her. Running her hands through her hair in frustration not having the time to deal with all of this now, however she waited for the three men to make their way to her. Before they could say anything she cut them off with a hand.  
"Come on," Joan said stomping off down the street towards the bus stop.  
Behind her she heard Dean and Sam whisper to one another. Glaring in annoyance over her shoulder at them she noticed Castiel giving Ryan strange looks. She looked between Castiel and Ryan wondering but didn't turn around to ask. Once they reached the bus stop Joan plopped down on the bench. Looking over the back of the bench at the four guys loitering behind her she sighed.  
"Sam, Dean, Castiel, Ryan," she said pointing to each of them in turn.  
"Um, hi," Sam said slightly uncomfortable holding his hand out.  
"You don't look anything like he said you'd look like," Ryan said ignoring Sam's hand.  
"Who?" Sam asked confused.  
"Lucifer," Ryan said simply putting his hands in his sports jacket pocket.  
"What?" Dean and Sam said jumping back from him hands going under their jackets.  
"Don't," Joan hissed at them looking around thankful that the bus stop was empty, "Do you want someone to notice."  
"He talks to Lucifer, the guy trying to destroy the planet," Dean exclaimed.  
"He also talks to God," Joan hissed glaring at the three of them, "Why didn't you say you spoke to the devil himself."  
Ryan shrug, "Didn't come up."  
"Are you helping him?" Joan asked looking at Ryan.  
"No," Ryan said shortly.  
"Why?" Joan asked.  
"Because I think he's going to lose," Ryan said simply.  
"Really?" Sam asked surprised.  
"Yes," Ryan said.  
"Why?" Castiel asked speaking up for the first time.  
Ryan looked at Castiel and sneered but did not reply. Joan made a confused face at the look baffled by whatever had passed between the two.  
"Ryan?" she asked hesitantly.  
Ryan turned his head to look at Joan face not showing anything.  
"What the heck Cas?" Dean said looking at Castiel in the same confused way as Joan was looking at Ryan.  
"He's not human," Castiel said shortly.  
"What?" Sam asked looking over Ryan as if he could see what Castiel was talking about.  
"I'm as human as anyone, angel," Ryan sneered the last word.  
"What are you?" Castiel asked cocking his head at Ryan as if he could see underneath his skin.  
Ryan sneered at Castiel straighten his sports jacket out before turning to Joan.  
"I'll see to you later Joan," he said turning to walk away.  
"Wait Ryan," Joan called after him but he didn't stop, "Great."  
Joan sighed leaning her head against the back of the bench. Rubbing her eyes she took a breath before looking back at the brothers and Castiel.  
"Did you guys need something?" she asked.  
Sam and Dean shared another speaking look before responding.  
"We figured if we hung around you long enough that God would show up and we could talk to him," Sam said finally.  
Joan sighed and rolled her eyes, "Well I haven't seen him since before you guys rolled into my life."  
Dean and Sam shared another look, confused about Joan's tone.  
"Are you angry at us?" Sam hazarded.  
Joan sighed again, "I told my dad about you guys and he called the FBI down."  
Both Sam and Dean's gave her wide eyed looks.  
"Crap why?" Sam asked as Dean cursed quietly in the background.  
"My dad got called in because the credit card you used somewhere got flagged, he mentioned it at dinner and I wasn't thinking," she explained, "I mentioned I'd seen you and here we are."  
"Why you tell him you talked to us?" Dean asked annoyed.  
"He already knew you were in town, it doesn't matter," Joan said frustrated.  
"Damnit, damnit, damnit" Dean cursed.  
"What does this mean?" Castiel asked confused.  
"It means we can't stay here," Sam said cursing.  
"But we still haven't spoken to God," Castiel said.  
Dean rolled his eyes at Castiel's single mindedness, "And I doubt we'll talk to him if our asses end up in jail Cas."  
"I'm sorry," Joan apologized.  
Sam shook his head, "No its not your fault, damnit we shouldn't have use that card."  
"Joan?" a voice called from behind them.  
Joan, Dean and Sam all turned around, Joan mentally noted that Castiel was gone, and saw her mother walking towards them.  
"Crap that's my mom, don't do anything stupid," Joan hissed under her breath as she waved to her mom.  
"Hi mom," Joan said when her mom was closer.  
Helen gave both Sam and Dean surveying look  
"We're agents Roberts and Singer," Dean said pulling a badge out of a pocket flashing it at Helen, "We're with the FBI team working with your husband, we just had some follow up questions to ask your daughter."  
"Are you suppose to be talking to her without us around?"  
"Ma'am there are things that," Sam hesitated, "Thing that teenagers aren't willing to talk about when their parents are around."  
"Uh, huh, sure," Helen said still glaring at Sam and Dean.  
Joan shot them both a panicked look knowing she needed to get her mom away from the brother before she put the descriptions she'd heard together with the two guys standing in front of her. Joan looked around for something to distract her mom with when the bus pulled up to the corner before the bus stop.  
"Mom, we'd better go," Joan said tugging her mom towards the bus, "Dad's probably called the house a bunch of times checking to see if I'm home already."

~*~*~*~

"What’s going on with you and dad?" Luke asked leaning against Joan's doorway.  
Joan turned to look at him frowning, "I don't know what you're talking about."  
"You haven't been in trouble with dad in a while and now all of a sudden our long lost uncle comes into town and you get grounded."  
Joan shrug turning back to her work knowing there was no way she could tell her brother what was going on.  
"I mean in the space of a week you got grounded twice for lying," Luke said coming farther into the room, "If I didn't know any better I'd ask if there were demonic forces at work and strange old men following you around."  
"What?" Joan asked turning around to face Luke again.  
"Buffy reference," Luke said shrugging, "No need to freak unless," he let the rest of his sentence trail off.  
"Look nothings going on," Joan said moving to stand by her window on the other side of her room.  
"So why are you grounded?" Luke asked, "And being interviewed by FBI agents."  
Joan flinched at the mention of being grounded, "How do you know about that? You weren't even home when it happened?" Joan asked.  
Luke shrug, "I heard mom and dad talking about it when I went downstairs to get a soda."  
Joan nodded her turning back to looking out her window. Luke followed her gaze wondering what held his sisters gaze.  
"Anything interesting going on out there?" Luke asked.  
Joan didn't respond eyes tracking a figure walking down the street. They stopped briefly in front of Joan's house before waving and continuing on. Joan gasp before scrambling for her jacket rushing past Luke and down the stairs.  
"I'm going to see Grace about some homework," Joan yelled as she rushed from the house pulling her coat on.  
Vaguely she heard her mother call for her but she was already down the drive and beyond the hedge by the time Helen made it too the door. In the distance Joan could see the Goth form that God had chosen disappearing around the corner. Glancing back towards her house Joan put her coat on fully and hurried down the street. Joan tried to catch up with God but was unable to no matter how fast she walked. Finally giving up and simply following him from a distance. He never went fast enough that Joan lost him so she figured he had a reason for keeping the distance between them. Following him for a while she realized he was leading her to the park where she usually saw little girl god at.  
Glancing around the park and not seeing God anywhere Joan signed in frustration. She didn't have time to be hunting for God all over Arcadia.  
"Hello Joan," a voice said from behind her causing her to jump and spin around.  
"God?" she asked confused.  
Standing before Joan wasn't little girl God as Joan mentally called the little girl with bug eyed glasses and overalls nor was it the Goth God she'd been following. Giving the twin girls in front of her confused look unsure if it was God or not.  
"Yes?" the girls said tilting their head at Joan.  
"Um, hi," Joan said giving the girls a small wave.  
"I believe you have some questions for me?" the girls asked in sync walking closer to the fence that separated Joan from them.  
"Yeah, I mean I do," Joan said stepping up to the fence.  
"Ask them and I'll do my best to answer," the twins said.  
"That's a first," Joan said sarcastically.  
"Some things have changed," the girls said shrugging.  
"The Winchester brothers is what they said true?" Joan asked.  
"Yes," the girl said curtly.  
Blinking in surprise at Gods curt response, "Aren't you going to stop him, I mean he wants to destroy the whole world."  
"No," again Joan's question was met with a curt response.  
"Why, don't you care," Joan asked.  
"Of course I care that's why I can't do anything," the twins said.  
Joan blinked confused at what God meant.  
"I can't simply interfere in this Joan, though it may not seem like it too you there are rules to this, things I can and cannot do."  
"Who makes there rules?" Joan demanded.  
"I did, a very long time ago."  
"And you just can't break your rules?"  
"Joan if I broke the rules every time someone did something I didn't agree with there would be no such thing as free will," the twin girls chastised.  
"But he's going to destroy the world," Joan cried throwing her hands up.  
Joan's loud cry caused the few people in the park to turn and look at the three of them. Balking slightly at all the eyes suddenly on them Joan leaned closer to the fence.  
"He's going to destroy the world," Joan repeated quieter.  
"So are you," God said shaking her head.  
Flinching at Gods words Joan gave him a confused look, "I'm going to destroy the world?"  
"Not you personally but humanity, every day all day bit by bit you guys are destroying the world," the twins said shrugging in unison.  
"Why don't you do something then," Joan hissed trying not to bring attention to them.  
"I wish I could but I can't, I can't do anymore than what I'm doing now," God said.  
"This isn't fair," Joan cried.  
"I know, Joan, I know."  
"Why does he want to do this anyway? What have we ever done to him?" Joan asked looking at the twins.  
God sighed and the twins slummed down against the fence. Joan rubbed her eyes brushing the tears away. When her vision cleared there were no longer twins standing in front of her on the other side of the fence but an older man that Joan hadn't seen as a form of God before. Joan blinked in confusion at the sudden shift in form.  
"When I made the universe," he started to explain, "I made the world, then angels, the people, out of all the things I created I'm most proud of humanity, not that I don't love my children all equally Joan because I do."  
Joan nodded as if she understood but she didn't. However she wasn't going to stop God from explaining something once he started.  
"I might have," God trailed off, "Bragged a bit to my children and you understand what its like to have a new kid in the house that you're parents are so proud of but you don't understand because all the new baby does is cry, sleep and poop everywhere."  
Joan laughing quietly at the analogy remembering a little of what it had been like when her mom and dad brought Luke home. She hadn't understood when they first brought him home what was so special about him because it didn't seem that he did anything but cry, eat and poop.  
"Not all of the angels took to the new 'baby' as well as I hoped, Lucifer didn't take it well at all," God explained sighing, "He," God stopped collecting himself, "He thought I'd made a mistake and nothing I could say changed his mind."  
Joan nodded, "Ryan told me some of this," mentioning Ryan made her think of Castiel's reaction to Ryan, "What is Ryan?" Joan asked.  
"Ryan?" God asked seemingly confused.  
"Castiel said he wasn't human but Ryan said he was," Joan said though she was pretty sure God already knew that.  
"Ah, Ryan is special, let's leave it at that."  
"Like I'm special?" Joan asked.  
God shook his head, "No, Joan, not like you."  
They fell into a silence leaning against the fence not speaking until Joan broke the silence.  
"What am I suppose to do?"  
"Trust that I have a plan Joan, that's all you need to do," God said.  
Joan looked at God trying to understand what he was telling her. Finally Joan nodded in acceptance.  
"Now, I do believe you're not suppose to be out of your house," God said, though his tone was chastising the smile said other wise.  
Joan laughed a bit before standing and dusting herself off, "I guess I'll be off them."  
"Bye Joan,"


	7. Chapter 7

"Joan, Joan Girardi," a voice called after her as she left the school.  
Turning around clutching her bag to her chest she found Agents Reid and Morgan jogging to catch up with her.  
"Yes?" She asked looking at them confused.  
"We need to talk to you, we have a few more questions to ask you about the Winchester brother and their accomplice Jimmy Novak," Morgan said.  
"Look I don't have anything else to tell you guys, I only talk to them once and it wasn't even for that long," Joan said turning around to start walking away.  
"Miss Girardi, we know that isn't true, we know you saw them again in a diner a little ways out of town," Reid said falling in step behind her.  
"What are you guys following me now? I have rights you know," Joan snapped glaring at them.  
"We need to know why you lied to us Joan, the Winchester no matter what they told you they're bad news, people die when they're around and we don't want you to be their next victim," Morgan said placing his hand on her shoulder to keep her from walking away.  
Joan glared at him shrugging his hand off. Looking over his shoulder she spotted a familiar little girl with a ball watching them. As the girl smiled at Joan and began walking over Joan frowned and shook her head minutely trying to tell the girl no. Following Joan's line of sight to the little girl Reid frowned confused.  
"Hello Joan."  
"Look now's not the best time to talk can this wait?" Joan said trying to convey with her body for the little girl to go away.  
"Hi, I'm Dr. Spencer Reid, who are you?" Reid asked looking down at the little girl.  
"I know exactly who you are Doctor Reid," the girl said smiling at Reid and Morgan in turn before looking directly at Joan.  
"Really isn't a good time," Joan mumbled looking between the two agents then at the girl.  
"Now Joan," the little girl raised her eyebrows at Joan giving her a slightly chastising look, "Now is more than a good time to have this conversation."  
Morgan took a surprised step back at both the girls words and tone, though girl looked like a small child the words coming out of her mouth were not that of a child's. The tone was not of simply a precocious child or even a genius child but rather an adult and an adult who'd seen and knew a great deal of things.  
"Who are you?" Morgan asked moving his hand minutely towards his gun though he knew there was no way he would pull his gun on a child no matter how strange or creepy the child was.  
"God," the little girl said smiling at them.  
Reid and Morgan shared looked as Joan groaned. Joan glared at the little girl who smiled sunnily at her.  
"Trust me Joan," the little girl said to Joan.  
"Trust you, trust you," Joan mumbled, "Sure what the heck whats the worst they'll do lock me the funny farm forever."  
"You'll have to excuse Joan, she's had some bad experiences with this sort of thing," the little girl said.  
"God? Supreme Being? All knowing and all seeing higher power God?" Reid said sounding skeptical.  
"That would be me," she said with a smile.  
"I don't believe you," Reid said.  
"I'm not surprised Dr. Reid  
"Spencer," Reid said automatically.  
The little girl smiled, "Spencer."  
"Prove it," Morgan said looking at the girl skeptically.  
The little girl smiled and waved her hand towards where she came from, "Look."  
Following the girls line of sight they saw a tree, old and large planted across from them.  
"It's a tree," Morgan said.  
"Yes, yes it is," the girl smiled again.  
Morgan and Reid both looked confused and Joan sighed, "Yeah kinda hard to get straight answers from this one."  
The two agents turned to Joan unsure of what to say. Morgan looked at Reid mentally asking Reid what they should do.  
"The belief that one is speaking to God isn't an uncommon delusion," Reid murmured to Morgan, "And given the Winchesters religious fanaticism this does explain a lot."  
Joan however heard him and glared, "I'm not crazy."  
Reid blushed embarrassed that she'd heard him.  
"Joan, tell them," the girl commanded.  
"Tell them what?" Joan asked confused.  
"Everything,"  
"Because that went over so well last time," Joan snapped glaring.  
"Trust me," the girl repeated, taking Joan's hand in her smaller ones.  
Joan looked down at their clasped hands then back up to the little girls face before turning to face Morgan and Reid.  
"I guess we should sit down for this," Joan said looking around for a bench.  
Spotting one not to far off she made her way over to it still holding Gods hand.  
"You know how my brother is paralyzed right?" she asked, seeing them nod she continued, "When it happened I prayed and prayed to God promising to do whatever he wanted so long as my brother lived, so God saved my brother and in return he asked me to do," Joan trailed off, "Things."  
"What kind of things?" Ried asked still skeptical especially after his encounter with Tobias and ‘Raphael’.  
"Join the chess team, take AP Chem, work at a book store, babysit this kid, random things," Joan said, "But I don't know, its hard to explain," Joan shrugged looking at the little girl sitting next to her.  
"So what? Gods been talking to you for the last two years?" Morgan asked.  
"Yeah that's about right," Joan said nodding.  
"And how exactly are the Winchester brothers involved in this?" Morgan prompted.  
"I honest don't really know exactly they just kinda found me," Joan replied with a shrug.  
They shifted to look at the little girl God was masquerading as. Feeling their eye on her she looked up at them and smiled pushing her glasses up on her nose.  
"I do hate doing this but," the little girl said before hopping off the bench and walking to a nearby bush. The little girl plucked a flower from the bush before coming back over.  
"Now watch, I'm only doing this once," she said holding the flower before tossing it gently in the air. Reid, Morgan and Joan all watched the flower as it began to flutter down before stopping just level to Morgan's chest. The three of them gasp in shock looking from the flower to the little girl before them.  
"Normally I wouldn't do this kind of thing, its very showy offy," the little girl said, "Beside it ruins the point."  
"The point?" Joan asked.  
"I unlike Tinkerbell don't stop existing because people stop believing but if I proved I existed every time someone demanded it of me it would ruin," little girl God paused to think, "It would ruin the faith people had in me."  
"Hey, why didn't you do that for me?" Joan asked touching the still floating flower which fell into her hand the second she touched it.  
"You, Joan unlike these two don't deal in absolute facts," God said, "You simple believe."  
"Why are you telling us this?" Reid asked finally overcoming his shock.  
"Because there are things going on, things happening that Joan can't handle," God replied.  
"Like what?" Morgan asked.  
"The apocalyptic," both God and Joan replied at the same time.  
"Apocalypse?" Reid repeated.  
"My son," God started, "My son wasn't happy about something I asked him to do, nor was he to pleased with human kind, he wanted to change what he thought were flaws in humans, I said no."  
"Son?" Morgan asked confused having not gone to church often as a child.  
"Lucifer," God said shortly.  
Reid nodded as if he understood, "What did he see as flaws?"  
"Dean and Sam said he thinks that human kind is ruining the Earth and that we don't deserve it," Joan said.  
"He sounds like angry superpower eco terrorist," Morgan said.  
"That about sums it up." God said nodding.  
"What do you expect us to do?" Morgan asked.  
God smiled at Morgan as if she knew something he didn't which was true given her state as God, "When the time comes you'll know what you have to do, just have a little faith."  
"Why don't you just stop him?" Reid asked.  
"Free will, there are rules even I have to follow them."  
"Rules? There's someone out there to enforce them?" Joan asked surprised to hear this though it wasn't the first time God mentioned something like this.  
"Sort of," little girl God shrugged tilting her head as if she were listening for something that they couldn't hear, "You should get home Joan."  
Joan looked confused by God comment before looking down at her watch and nodding at the time.  
"My dad's probably going to flip, I'm still grounded," she groaned.  
"We'll walk you home Joan," Reid offered.  
Joan looked at Reid for a moment before shaking her, "No, I'll be fine."  
"Besides Reid we need to go talk to Hotchner, if what you're saying is true that we've got bigger issues that the Winchester brothers," Morgan pointed out.  
"Are you sure?"Reid asked Joan who nodded.  
"Whatever Dean and Sam have done its been for a greater good," Joan said.  
Morgan and Reid nodded turning to head back to where they'd parked their car but not before giving Joan both their business cards with instructions to contact them when everything went down. Joan turned to where God had been sitting ask her a question only to find the spot empty save for the ball God had had with her.  
"I hate it when he does that," Joan muttered.  
~*~*~*~

"Did you talk to Joan again?" Hotchner asked Morgan and Reid when the walked into the conference room where everyone was waiting.  
Morgan and Reid shared a quick look before taking their respective seats.  
"We did," Reid replied.  
"And?" Rossi prompted.  
"Nothing," Morgan said sounding frustrated, "Whatever reasons she's hiding from her parents she's no keener to share with us."  
"Damn," Prentiss cursed.  
"Though I do think I know why," Reid said.  
Morgan looked at Reid confused at what he was about to say. Reid smiled at Morgan mentally asking him to trust him.  
"Well?" Prentiss asked.  
"Her parents sent her to a rehabilitation center for a summer," Reid started, "Whatever reason she's not telling us about the Winchesters its because she's afraid they'll send her back."  
"Dave?" Hotchner said.  
"Joan was diagnosed with Lime diseases after an incident at school and a confession that she apparently thought she spoke to God," Rossi said.  
"The Winchesters are know to be religious fanatics," Prentiss said, "Whatever they've been talking about must be related."  
Rossi however shook his head, "Joan doesn't even go to church, Will mentioned in passing the only person in the family that's religious is Helen."  
"Damn," Prentiss cursed again.  
"Did you find anything else from Chief Girardi?" Hotchner asked.  
"Not much," Rossi said, "She's pretty much a good kid if you ignore the snit in the funny farm, there was an incident her sophomore year where she destroyed a friends art work in an attempt to keep him from dropping out of school to be an artist, a friend that she made when she was at Gentle Acres committed suicide which depressed her for a while and a few days ago her ex-boyfriend got lost during a pretty bad storm but was found by the towns newest resident and local billionaire whom Joan seemed to have befriended."  
"I stopped by the motel the Winchester had been staying at earlier this afternoon," JJ said when no one said anything after Rossi finished, "And not to be the bearer of more bad news but I talked to the day clerk and he told me that the Winchester's packed up and left earlier this morning."  
"What?" Hotchner asked, "Why didn't you tell us earlier?"  
"I wanted to wait for what Reid and Morgan had for us," she explained, "Maybe Joan knew where they'd gone."  
"She didn't indicate that she knew anything more than they were in town for something," Reid said.  
"Do we have any other leads?" Hotchner asked rubbing his eyes tiredly.  
The teams silence spoke volumes.  
"What should we do now?" JJ asked.  
"Nothing," Hotchner said with a sigh, "We came to find out what the Winchester were doing in town and to prevent any murders from happening while they were here, nothing happened on either front."  
"So what we pack up and leave?" Rossi asked.  
"No, not yet," Hotchner said looking up at the mostly empty pin board, "We'll wait a few more days, see if anything else turns up or if they really did leave town, if nothing happens then yes we pack up and head back to DC."  
"I don't like this Aaron," Rossi said.  
Hotchner shook his head, "There have been times that the Winchester have been spotted and nothing come of it."  
Rossi just shook his head before standing up and leaving the conference room, "I'm going to go tell Will we're leaving then."

~*~*~*~

After the two agents left Joan sat on a bench in the park thinking not only about having told Reid and Morgan but also their reactions and the fact hat unlike the last time she'd told someone she spoke to God, this time God had come to back up her claim. Sighing to herself she wondered why he hadn't done the same when she confessed to her parents. Shaking her head deciding not to put too much thought into it.  
"You don't look anything like I thought you'd look, Joan," a voice said from behind her.  
Joan jumped in surprise whipping around to find herself face to face with a creepy looking man. He looked in his late twenties early thirties with a scruffy beard and face that would have been attractive in a Jacob from _Lost_ kind of way if not for the puss and burn like splotches of skin that decorated his face. Joan flinched back from him in surprise as he was leaning close enough to her that they were just about sharing the same breathing space. Before she could ask who he was or how he knew her name he grabbed her arm and yanked her up off the bench.  
"I think its time you and I had a little heart to heart," He said pulling her around the bench.  
"Who are you," Joan cried out trying to pull her arm away but failing.  
"Oh what, he doesn't talk to you about his 'favorite son'," the man sneered at her.  
"What, who?" Joan asked confused digging her heels in to slow them down.  
The man laughed slightly at Joan's struggling, "Who is exactly what we're going to talk about little girl."  
Joan again yanked her arm away from him this time succeeding in getting away but at the cost of ripping the long sleeve of her shirt. When he reached for her bare skin however his hand burned causing him to yank it back.  
"What the?" he said confused jerking his smoldering hand back from Joan.  
Joan used that time to scramble farther away from the creepy man tripping over her bag in her haste. Even as she cried out as she scraped her hand Joan still stumbled to her feet trying to get away. However she didn't get very far before the man was back grabbing at her sleeve covered hand.  
"Let me go," Joan yelled twisting to kick the man but missing.  
"Now, now Joan don't be like this," he said jerking her back to him.  
Frustrated Joan slammed her head back hoping to hit his nose but failing though it did startle him enough to let her go and for her to stumble away from him.  
"Joan," Dean called running down the path with Sam behind him.  
Seeing the man behind her he flinched raising the gun in his hand and pointing it.  
"Joan, come over here," Dean commanded stopping a few feet away from Joan and the man.  
"No, I don't think so," the man said once again appearing at Joan's side but this time Joan was ready grabbing at his face with her open palm causing him to yell as he seemed to burn at her touch.  
This time instead of letting her go however he pulled her closer and twisted her arm at a painful angle causing Joan to let go of his face to grab her arm in an attempt to stop him from breaking it.  
"How did you find her Lucifer," Sam  
Lucifer grinned, "Lets just say I know people."  
Lucifer tentatively touched the burns on his face, "That's some trick you have girly," he said looking down at Joan.  
Joan didn't reply looking at Dean and Sam begging them to save her.  
"I'm going to enjoy this," Lucifer said as his free hand wrapped around her throat choking her ignoring the burns his hand was suffering.  
"Now son, you know that there are rules against this."  
Lucifer turned around pulling Joan around with him releasing her throat, "You," he hissed glaring.  
"Now, let Joan go," standing down the path was a younger looking man dressed in simple jeans and sneakers rocking back and forth on his heels.  
"No," Lucifer said tighten his grip on Joan's arm causing her to cry out in pain.  
"This isn't your usual style, picking on little girls," God said walking closer.  
"And what would you know about my usual style," Lucifer said sneering out the last word.  
"Just because I sent you away doesn't mean I wasn't still keeping an eye on you," God replied, “Now its time for you to go.”  
Huffing in annoyance Lucifer pushed Joan away from him causing her to fall to the ground, "This isn't over."  
"Of course it isn't," God said smiling still even as Lucifer disappeared.  
"Are you okay Joan?" Sam asked helping her to her feet.  
Coughing slightly Joan said, "Yeah, I'm fine."  
"I'm sorry about that Joan," God said as he came over to the three of them.  
"What was that?" Joan asked still coughing.  
"My irate son," God said with a sigh.  
"No," Joan said shaking her head, "The burning thing."  
God actually flushed in embarrassment, "You're more important than you think Joan and there are people out there who want you to stay alive and they may have pulled some strings for you."  
"Pulled some strings?" Joan asked, "I burned my hand into the Devils face."  
"Consider it protection," God said looking off into the distance, "I have to go, the BAU team is heading this way, I'd advise you two to high tail it as well," God said nodding to the still hovering Dean and Sam.  
"Can the people who 'pulled some strings' for Joan pull the same for us?" Dean asked God.  
God shook his head, "It was a one shot deal I'm afraid."  
"We need all the help we can get," Sam said, "Why aren't you helping."  
God shook his head, "I am helping, even if you can't see it."  
Dean started to say something else but stopped when he heard the sound of several feet heading their way. Looking back to where God was they found him gone having disappeared.  
"Go," Joan said as she started coughing again.  
Sam and Dean looked between Joan and the direction the people where coming from.  
"Go," she hissed again as she heard Agent Rossi calling her name.  
"We'll find you later, okay," Sam said as Joan nodded.  
They gave her one last look before taking off in the opposite direction. Joan sat on the foot path coughing still being choked.


	8. Chapter 8

Sitting in the park leaning against the fence of the children's play area Joan waited for Sam, Dean and Castiel to show up. Checking her watch for the time then her phone to make sure that she'd gotten the right time she sighed and looked around for them.  
"Hey," Sam said when they came close enough to her.  
"Hey," she replied.  
"How are you?" Dean asked.  
Joan shrugged, "A little freaked out but," she shrugged again.  
Sam nodded, "I'm sorry you had to deal with that."  
Dean elbowed Sam in the side, "We're sorry you to deal with that."  
They fell into a silted silence simply looking at each other. Shifting uncomfortably at the three of them hovering over her Joan moved to stand up. Seeing Joan struggling to stand both Dean and Sam moved forward taking her by the arms and heaving her to her feet.  
"Thanks, the fall yesterday made my leg ache," Joan explained brushing the dirt off her skirt once she was standing.  
"Is it okay? Did you have someone look at it?" Dean asked worried reaching for her again.  
Sidestepping his hand Joan brushed off his concern, "Its fine, my mom looked at it last night it's just a bruise, my throat hurts worst."  
Dean and Sam shared a concerned look.  
"Really guys its fine," Joan said bouncing a little on her heels to prove it.  
Accepting her words a true Dean and Sam nodded their heads.  
"What happened after we left you?" Sam asked Joan.  
"Nothing much, someone heard the commotion recognized me and called the cops, the BAU heard and thought it was you two attacking me."  
"They thought we'd attack you?" Sam asked shocked.  
"You guys do have a tendency to come into town where dead bodies are found," Joan pointed out.  
"That's not our fault," Dean protested.  
"They don't know that."  
The foursome fell into silence again before Castiel broke it.  
"And God?" Castiel asked.  
"I haven't seen him," Joan said, "But I'm not surprised, its only been two days."  
"We're sorry we dragged you into this," Sam said after a while.  
Joan shook her head, "You didn't drag me into this."  
Dean and Sam both looked at the livid bruise on her throat but didn't respond.  
"So what are you going to do now?" Joan asked looking at them.  
Dean shrugged, "Same thing we were going to do before."  
"By yourselves?" Joan asked giving them a confused look.  
This time Sam shrugged, "That's how its always been, I mean the thing with God, we had to try but we were always going to be doing it just the two of us."  
Joan blinked at them still confounded that even after being told by God he wouldn't help them that they'd still try to stop Lucifer by themselves.  
"But why?"Joan asked.  
Sam and Dean traded looks that Joan didn't understand, "Because we like this planet the way it is," Sam said.  
"And even if God can't, won't help us we have to try," Dean said, "Or die trying."  
Joan threw herself at the two of them wrapping her arms around their necks.  
"Please don't die," she cried as she hugged them.  
"Awe Joanie I didn't know you cared that much," Dean teased though he hugged her back just as fiercely.  
"We'll try not to," Sam said hugging her back as well.  
"Don't try, don't do it," she demanded letting them go so she could look at them, "Castiel don't let them die," Joan said turning to the angel who was hovering behind the quite for the duration of their conversation.  
"I will endeavor to keep them alive Joan," Castiel replied.

~*~*~*~

Four Months Later

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Sam asked  
Joan nodded, "This is what I think he's been trying to get me ready for."  
Sam nodded looking from Joan to her house, "If you're sure."  
"I am," Joan said with another nod giving her house one last look before climbing into the back seat of the Impala, "I'll explain it to them later."  
"Well then let's get this show on the road, we have an apocalypse to avert," Dean said pressing the gas as soon as Sam closed the door.

The End


End file.
